Swimmer Bobby Finke sends out a warning as he aims to carry his champion's swagger to Paris 2024 after shock gold medal wins in Tokyo: 'I'm going NOWHERE!'

Before Bobby Finke took the water in Tokyo for the 800m freestyle, the American swimmer had a relatively modest barometer for his own individual success.

Making the finals was the initial goal. Medaling, a bonus. Gold? Unthinkable.

Two Olympic gold medals (the other in the 1500m) and a subsequent world championship later, Finke's own expectations have emphatically been raised - and he enters this summer (beginning with the USA trials) with a swagger befitting of his ever-growing resume.

'I know I kind of belong there,' he exclusively told Mail Sport at Team USA's Media Summit, 100 days out from the Paris Olympics. 'Because I have the credentials to be in that race with people.'

'I'm here. I'm not going away anytime soon,' he added. 'I'm gonna come in the exact same way and you guys got to deal with it.'

Bobby Finke is entering Paris with a different set of goals after winning two golds in Tokyo

Finke poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 1500m Freestyle Final

Finke went from a relative unknown to a two-time gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics

Speaking of the Tokyo 1500m, he continued, 'The second event was a bit different. Because at that point, already won one. And going into that race, I was pretty confident as long as I stuck with my competitors that I could be able to win again.'

That mindset has carried into the preparations for this summer's Olympics, for which Finke will aim to qualify via the USA trials in June. If successful, he'll jet into France more well-traveled both in and out of the water than he was three years ago.

When he won the 800m and 1500m freestyles in 2021, Finke was still a student at the University of Florida - one who had never left the country for a non-swimming trip.

Both of those facts have now changed, as he graduated in December 2023 and enjoyed a vacation to Italy after last year's worlds in Fukuoka.

He also won gold at the world championships in Budapest in 2022 in the 800m, along with a silver in the 1500m, and added a silver and bronze to his collection in 2023. 

The weight he carries on his shoulders is heavier heading into this summer, but the focus is precisely the same. 

'To take that into potentially Paris... it's a badge of honor,' he said, speaking in the latest Ralph Lauren collection for Team USA. 'But also, the best thing I know how to do is race people. And that's really the only thing I'm gonna be thinking about at the end of the day. 

Finke, of course, has a long, long way to go to sniff the achievements of American men's swimming legends Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

The pair racked up 28 and 12 medals respectively, and are considered the titans of American's men's swimming.

Finke is seen competing in the Men's 800m Freestyle final in TYR Pro Swim Series on April 13

Finke credited Michael Phelps (left) and Ryan Lochte for 'pav[ing] the way' for swimming

But Lochte isn't so untouchable in real life.

Finke still sees the Gainesville resident around the UF campus sometimes -  a reminder of the impact he and Phelps made in the sport.

'They have really paved the way for not even just Americans but around the world, like a whole bunch of other countries are really getting involved into the sport of swimming,' Finke said. 

'You know, we call it like 'swimflation' because like everything's getting so much faster now.'

As Finke surveys the competition this summer, that may well be true.

Now, though, his aim is to be leading that pack.